Dr Pelpuo Calls for Investment in Human Capital to Harness Africa’s Demographic Dividend

Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, has underscored the urgent need for investments in critical sectors and strategic partnerships to address Africa‘s challenges and build resilient human capital for the continent’s transformation. Speaking at a conference on Advancing the Next Generation for Equitable Development of Human Capital in India, he described Africa’s youthful population as its greatest asset for innovation, growth, and transformation.

He stressed that turning this potential into real progress requires equipping young people with relevant education, skills, and opportunities. “From Ghana’s perspective, human capital development is at the core of our development agenda. We see it as the pathway to harnessing our demographic dividend and building inclusive prosperity,” Dr Pelpuo said.

With 40 per cent of Africa’s population aged 15–35, and an average of 11 million young people entering the labour market each year against only 3.7 million jobs created, he highlighted the widening gap between labour demand and supply that threatens the aspirations of African youth. Ghana, he noted, is focusing on expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and digital literacy programmes such as the 1 Million Coders initiative to prepare the youth for global digital opportunities.

He added that beyond technical expertise, reforms are integrating soft skills, leadership, and critical thinking to nurture confident, innovative youth. Entrepreneurship, he said, remains a major driver of job creation, with programmes like the National Apprenticeship Programme, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, and Youth Employment Programme providing mentorship, funding, and capacity building for start-ups.

Dr Pelpuo also pointed to the value of partnerships, citing Ghana’s collaboration with India through ICT Centres of Excellence in agriculture, IT, and vocational training. He expressed optimism about expanding such partnerships in renewable energy, digital skills, and innovation-driven enterprises to fast-track human capital development.

He cautioned, however, about persistent challenges, including brain drain in Africa’s health sector and skills mismatches globally, noting that in 2019, 54 per cent of employers could not find the right skills for available jobs, while 187 million people worldwide remained unemployed. “If African youth must be competitive globally, then these challenges must inform our policy options,” he stressed.